Planet Lean: The Official online magazine of the Lean Global Network
Unlocking the potential of Lean in NGOs

Unlocking the potential of Lean in NGOs

Lynne Smith
April 4, 2024

INTERVIEW - In this interview, Lynne Smith discusses the potential and difficulties of applying Lean Thinking to NGOs and looks back at the lean transformation at the Gates Foundation.


Interviewee: Lynne Smith, former Director of Business Design at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

Interviewers: Roberto Priolo and Steve Bell


A big thank you to Lynne for sharing her knowledge and experience, and to Steve Bell for making this interview happen!


THE INTERVIEWEE

Lynne Smith is former Director of Business Design at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

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Lean without Jidoka is just Fordism
January 9, 2024
Lean without Jidoka is just Fordism

FEATURE – Nobody understands humans as well as humans do, and Jidoka is the key to learning about your customers and create ever-better products and services.

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Changing our minds to change our business
July 30, 2020
Changing our minds to change our business

NOTES FROM THE GEMBA – It can take time to challenge our misconceptions and set off on a lean journey. Once we get it, however, it’s hard to stop the improvements, as this French company found out.

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A bold lean experiment in one of our kitchens
November 27, 2018
A bold lean experiment in one of our kitchens

FEATURE – The lean mindset Legal Sea Foods has developed is allowing the company to run bold, aggressive experiments that might some day reinvent the way their restaurant kitchens work.

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Learning to think holistically about customer value
April 3, 2018
Learning to think holistically about customer value

PROFILE – The leader we profile today has a holistic view of the digital world. He brought Agile to Australia, and after embracing lean thinking he has helped to make REA Group one of the country's best digital brands.

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An NGO uses lean principles to rebuild New Orleans
June 4, 2015
An NGO uses lean principles to rebuild New Orleans

CASE STUDY – Following one of the deadliest hurricanes in US history, an NGO started to use lean management principles to speed up the reconstruction of homes in the Louisiana city… and the results were impressive.

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Lean project boosts sustainable development in Myanmar
September 1, 2016
Lean project boosts sustainable development in Myanmar

FEATURE – A group of Italian researchers and professionals partnered with a NGO to prove how lean thinking can pave the way for the competitiveness and sustainable development of SMEs in Myanmar. Is this a new model for the developing world?

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Supporting Sri Lankan society by transforming our company
January 19, 2018
Supporting Sri Lankan society by transforming our company

INTERVIEW – Prior to his talk at this year’s Lean Transformation Summit, the CEO of a large apparel manufacturer tells us about the company’s lean journey, and its impact on Sri Lankan society.

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How to harness lean to foster innovation and improve society
April 4, 2017
How to harness lean to foster innovation and improve society

FEATURE – We spend a lot of time talking about innovation, but what is the actual impact of leveraging lean to achieve it? As the author points out, the potential is huge, provided certain conditions are met.

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